


a lesson on love potions & their consequences

by wonnietv (heoneybee)



Category: K-pop, Monsta X (Band)
Genre: 93 line are the slytherin best friends, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Fluff, M/M, Ravenclaw Changkyun, Slytherin Hyungwon, or as fluffy as i'm capable of making anything tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-04-07 02:55:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14071386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heoneybee/pseuds/wonnietv
Summary: when slytherin ice prince and potions prodigy chae hyungwon starts to think his sudden infatuation with i’m changkyun is hopeless he starts plotting to feed the ravenclaw a love potion.needless to say, things don’t go quite as planned.





	a lesson on love potions & their consequences

**Author's Note:**

> here i am, back on my bullshit again

im changkyun is a genius.

or so everyone likes to say.

hyungwon would like to disagree, but it wasn’t like anyone was going to listen to him. he feels angry about it for selfish reasons that compromised his position as best potions student and sulks away, bent over his book with pursed lips and dark eyes glaring daggers at im changkyun’s side profile. genius kid was a whole year younger, but apparently the professors thought he did _so well_  and was _so smart_  that they allowed him to take part in some 6th year classes.

again, hyungwon would like to disagree.

sure, im changkyun wasn’t stupid; he seemed to work just as hard on acquiring as much knowledge as he could as every other ravenclaw. but did that really make him all that outstanding? no, hyungwon didn’t think so.

        “who are you trying to glare at?” warm breath hits his ear and neck and hyungwon shivers, lifts his hand to wave away the sensation of wet warmth before turning to glare at minhyuk.

        “minhyuk, we’ve talked about this before. personal space, remember?” he hisses, “stop breathing down my neck.” the other slytherin doesn’t seem very intimidated, only grins in his quiet amusement and hyungwon feels like hurting him. maybe whack him with his potions book or, if he wanted to be really mean, get kihyun to flick his nose.

        “oh, look– now you’re trying to glare at me. it’s so cute.” he’s about to open his mouth and point out how his glare was mean and and terrifying and minhyuk should be cowering, not casually leaning against the table and looking smug about merlin knows what, but before he can get a single sound out, kihyun turns to the side and shushes them.

hyungwon may be wishing a mean nose flick onto minhyuk, but he doesn’t want to risk receiving one himself.

+++

the first time he met im changkyun was when the 5th year student was put in their potions class.

there had been an excited whispered uproar that took over the room and, like so often, hyungwon had been confused at first. unsurprisingly, lee minhyuk — self proclaimed social butterfly and entrepreneur — had known exactly what the kids were gossiping about.

        “they gave him permission to join a couple of the sixth year classes.” and as hyungwon stared with dead, unimpressed eyes, he didn’t fail to notice how minhyuk’s stage whisper caught the attention of pretty much everyone around them. minhyuk may be obnoxiously loud most of the time, but it quickly dawned on him that he was trying to get the attention of the centre of that bleak tuesday morning’s spectacle. said centre of aforementioned spectacle was on the table right next to theirs, his chair a bit more than a foot away from minhyuk’s and eyes stubbornly glued to his book. minhyuk wasn’t deterred – quite the contrary.

        “and rumour has it, it’s thanks to daddy’s influence and money that the school felt pressured to actually go along with—“

        “and you actually believe that?” changkyun’s voice was deeper than hyungwon expected it to be. the whispers around them died out almost immediately and all eyes were set on the plain and bookish-looking boy, who let the heavy potions book he had been reading fall close with the most casual flick of his wrist. thin lips barely twitched as im changkyun turned to face their table, and hyungwon didn’t want to admit it, but he was more than just slightly impressed by his ability to continue looking  _that_  apathetic while being the centre of the whole class’ attention. “but i suppose to someone who only knows how to get by that way, hard work is too foreign of a concept.”

anyone would've heard a pin dropping to the floor in the resulting silence and hyungwon quickly learned that the smug smile on im changkyun’s face looked stupidly handsome. minhyuk didn’t seem to think so.

        “what did you say?” he was out of his seat. the usual, casual smile on his face was wiped away by an eerily harsh look and narrowed eyes, but before he could take that one step closer, hyungwon pinched the fabric of his sleeve between his fingers. the effect was immediate and minhyuk turned to face him, most likely about to argue about being interrupted when hyungwon did exactly that again.

        “the teacher is about to arrive and i don’t want to lose any more house points because of you. it’s bad enough that your stupid pranks keep getting us in trouble.”

a pregnant pause followed and minhyuk fell back onto his seat, but made a show out of crossing his arms and frowning. hyungwon knew he wouldn’t be seeing the end of that until the end of the week, at least.

to soothe over the discontent he had caused, hyungwon turned to changkyun and, in the nastiest tone he could muster, went: “you should respect people older than you, kid.”

when he thinks about it now, hyungwon feels like burying a hole deep in the ground, preferably somewhere beneath the weeping willow, and hiding there forever.

because kihyun snorted and burst out laughing a second later and even minhyuk, who had been so miffed just seconds ago, started snickering and hyungwon’s sole attempt to appear threatening enough to command respect turned into a joke. even changkyun hadn’t done anything but sneer at him with that stupidly handsome, cocky smile, and before he could make an attempt to restore his pride, the teacher entered the class.

that single event was all the more reason to dislike im changkyun and it was all the reason hyungwon needed. but as the lesson progressed, it quickly became very apparent that changkyun had not only talent, but the knowledge to back up all his smugness.

hyungwon developed a list inside his head:

( it was, of course, titled _reasons why i dislike that stupid, smug ravenclaw kid_ , and consisted of the following points:

1\. his hair is too dark  
2\. his potions skills are too good and it’s not fair; i didn’t want to work even harder to stay #1  
3\. his smile is smug and i hate it  
4\. what right does he have looking handsome on top of everything??  
5\. his hands are too pretty  
6\. his voice is too deep  
7\. he has dimples!!!! what kind of sane, non-evil person has dimples?? – no one (jooheon doesn’t count)  
8\. he looks too good in glasses  
9\. he looks too good _without_  glasses  
10\. he makes me so angry my heart starts beating faster — i absolutely cannot stand him )

the professor had easily showered changkyun with praise — praise which belonged to hyungwon originally, thank you very much — and he had become so incrementally irritated by the whole thing that, by the end of the class,he messed up something as simple as a pepperup potion. by the end of the lesson his mood turned sour, and he began to crave a nap and to bury himself in chocolate frogs. this plan was foiled, too, by a very irked-looking yoo kihyun, who pulled him aside towards the d.a.d.a class.

+++

and so another week and another potions class and hyungwon is again too distracted by im changkyun — and his hands, and profile, and voice, and dimples — which doesn’t only lead to him almost messing up the potion they’re supposed to prepare (again), but also causes him to almost miss the announcement their professor is making. hearing his own name makes him perk up and look away from changkyun long enough to hear that said boy’s name is called next. hyungwon might not have been in ravenclaw but he was at least capable of putting two and two together.

he’s not sure what his face is doing, but he’s quite sure it does not look pleased. and he’s not the only one who noticed, either.

long fingers curl around his shoulder and minhyuk is stuck to his side; hyungwon knows what’s coming even before he opens his mouth.

        “i bet if i talk to the professor for you i can convince her to switch your partner.” and hyungwon appreciates it, really, and he’s sure that if someone could pull that off it’s minhyuk — considering he could probably sell a troll a book on the history of finances of gringotts — but he didn’t want any special favours or treatment. he wasn’t a mimosa. plus, the best way to take back his number one spot as potions student was by working together with the person he was competing against. keep your friends close, but your enemies closer and all that. it isn’t like he wants to get closer to changkyun or something equally insane. it was all about destroying him — really.

        “i’ll be fine, minhyuk.” his childhood friend lingers anyway, gives his shoulder one more squeeze before moving away slightly and although hyungwon can’t see it, he can practically hear kihyun roll his eyes.

        “he’s not a child, minhyuk. you don’t need to babysit him twenty-four-seven.” minhyuk actually has the decency to look outraged.

        “ _excuse me_? who is the one who kept fussing over him and carrying fruit everywhere just because he sneezed _once_?”

        “that was different! i didn’t want him to get sick.”

        “hey,” the third voice calls for all of their attention and hyungwon doesn’t need to look up to know that changkyun was standing right in front of their table, “i don’t want to interrupt while your parents are fighting over who has spoiled you more, but i like to take care of projects as soon as possible so let’s agree to meet up today after classes. four pm. i’ll be waiting in the library.”

and for reasons completely unbeknown to him, hyungwon has the decency to flush a pale pink, his lips pursed and brows pulled together in a frown while he did his best to not think about how much that stupid, smug grin affected him.

+++

the afternoon couldn’t arrive quickly enough.

hyungwon’s fingers tirelessly drum against the tabletop all through d.a.d.a and by the time transfigurations was over, kihyun had threatened to tie him up four times. he had also been bothered enough to ask what’s wrong and why hyungwon couldn’t seem to calm down, but after receiving nothing more than a curt ‘nothing’, kihyun didn’t have it in him to show more patience. now he’s trying to focus, and reaches into his pocket to pull out a tin box — the rose flavoured candy that’s hidden inside has been sweetening his sour mood over the past few days and makes him hope that it will pacify some of his anxiety, as well.

truthfully, not even hyungwon himself knows what is wrong or why he’s so antsy all of a sudden. there’s a restless movement in the pit of his stomach that makes him queasy. his thoughts are wandering to a room, void of any other presence aside from his and changkyun’s, the orange glow of the setting sun casting soft shadows around them. he imagines the vibrant light against changkyun’s tan cheeks, thinks about reaching out to press the tip of his finger against the dip next to his lips and is so distracted by the fantasy that he almost runs into a door.

        “seriously, hyungwon, what is wrong with you today?” the colour rises to kihyun’s ears, turning the tips pink, and everyone knows that nothing good ever comes out of kihyun’s blood pressure rising. his short temper is not a force to be reckoned with. “you keep zoning out, you ruined our potion today, and this is the fourth time i had to stop you from running into something.”

hyungwon doesn’t want to be seen as useless or someone who needs his friends to hold his hand and lead him places, but it’s what kihyun had been doing for the longest time and still continues to do; although everything in him is screaming for more walls and to act even colder, hyungwon knows that it’s inevitable to become vulnerable and open once kihyun starts scolding him.

        “if there is something that’s bothering you, just say it so we can try to fix it, because i don’t have the time to run after you the whole day and make sure you don’t miss a step and crack your skull open on the staircase.” kihyun is worried and said worry is badly concealed below shallow annoyance at being left in the dark, but hyungwon can see it clearly in the pinched lips and frown and he’s quite glad that minhyuk wasn’t around as well. watching both of them fuss around never fails to make him feel the slightest sting of guilt.

minhyuk, kihyun and him had been friends since before hogwarts. their families knew each other from school and their sons were about the same age, making it only natural for play dates and the like to be organised. come first year, and the three of them were inseparable. hyungwon had always been the most shy out of their small group. he was quiet and soft spoken, and in a house full of snakes, such traits often translated into weaknesses. every now and then, someone tried to poke fun at him, and while hyungwon had his two friends and their giant mouths, he didn’t want to always rely on them. he remained quiet, but started growing more cold, too. an arrogant expression and his chin lifted in a holier-than-thou fashion became his best defence — until fifth year, when said defence got him into a huge fight with a gryffindor that resulted in hyungwon sporting a black eye and busted lip.

his friends might have been more watchful of him before, but after kihyun had to save him from any worse injuries and minhyuk had to hold him when he cried in the safety of his own bed, they became more protective, and overly so.

for all the put on annoyance and short temper, hyungwon can’t blame kihyun for behaving the way he did. whenever hyungwon acted the slightest bit different, kihyun tended to assume the worst. and while hyungwon hated being seen as vulnerable and didn’t have the easiest time expressing himself, he didn’t have it in him to get defensive around kihyun.

the tense line of kihyun’s shoulders relaxes as soon as hyungwon presses his forehead against the material of his uniform shirt, and the sigh that leaves his lips brings a small smile to hyungwon’s own. kihyun’s hand is warm against the back of his neck, and it matters little that they’re in the corridor just outside their common room, and that kihyun’s height forced him to bend his back slightly when resting his head against kihyun’s shoulder, which, honestly, isn’t the most comfortable position.

        “nothing is wrong, i promise.” he starts softly.

        “hyungwon, you-,”

        “i’ve just been thinking about how to put that stupid ravenclaw back in his place and take my well-deserved position as top potions student back. it’s his fault that i messed up today. i’ve just been plotting my revenge.”

kihyun sighs again and rests his cheek against hyungwon’s head. “okay. as long as you only _think_  about and don’t actually do anything. minhyuk’s childish pranks get us enough points taken away, i don’t want you contributing to that as well.”

as soon as they pass through the common room door and step inside the dim light, minhyuk greets them. hyungwon shares a quick look with kihyun and judging from the brief smile the other slytherin shoots him, he understands not to tell minhyuk about their conversation. while his two friends fall onto one of the couches together, chatting away, hyungwon returns to their shared room.

there wouldn’t be enough time for a nap anymore, just enough to take out all the books he doesn’t need and replace them with his potions notes from previous classes. the jittery nerves are still present when hyungwon finally headed for the library. at that point a few things have become very hard to deny and hyungwon wouldn’t be hyungwon if he didn’t make another list.

1\. the idea of being alone with changkyun makes him more nervous than it should  
2\. the thudding of his heart can’t be blamed on annoyance or anger  
3\. during the seven months he’s known changkyun he’s spend an embarrassing amount of time watching him and thinking about what it would be like if it could be just the two of them

only now that he’s about to find out how different his fantasy would be from reality and he’s left alone with his thoughts for a few moments, it becomes increasingly harder to lie to himself. in the beginning he could say that the fascination he had with im changkyun was annoyance, he could also claim it was just simple interest born from his competitive nature and could even make excuses about admiring his handsome face and smooth hair, but his thoughts had shifted from imagining himself beating changkyun’s scores and laughing in his face about it, to a smile and warm fingers brushing against his own. they’re thoughts he didn’t want to have and thoughts he couldn’t avoid — not with the ravenclaw’s name and visage popping up in his head every few moments.

( and just because he can, hyungwon makes a third list. this one titled _possible reasons for my thoughts and feelings and actions regarding anything that includes im changkyun_

1\. i might have a crush  
2\. i don’t have a crush, but i’ve gone insane  
3\. i totally have a crush and it’s absolutely hopeless )

realisations have only just started to sink in when hyungwon finally spots changkyun in the far back of the library, sitting directly next to the window. he doesn’t look up when hyungwon approaches the table and remains bent over a few pieces of parchment, a quill in his fingers and wrist moving in sharp motions. whether he is in class or in the library, changkyun looks sombre and serious and it’s a quick reminder that hyungwon and him met up to work on a project, not to grow closer. the fantasy of him charming a dimpled smile out of changkyun quickly poofs and evaporates.

by then, his heart had jumped and bumped its way up his chest and was currently stuck in his throat, making hyungwon sound like an awkward toad when he sits down opposite of changkyun and croaks out a soft ‘ _hi_ ’. changkyun pauses his scribbling long enough to glance up at hyungwon like he had forgotten that someone else was supposed to join him and what time it actually was. staring usually didn’t bother hyungwon, but being on the receiving end of changkyun’s scrutinising and intense eyes, he couldn’t help but fidget in his seat. thought the library is relatively cool this time of the year, hyungwon quickly grows warm. to conceal the fact that his face is changing from a flattering tan to a blotchy pink, he frowns and purses his lips.  
  
        “what?”

        “nothing. this is just the first time i’ve seen you without your two goons. i was half expecting them to come along with you.” changkyun’s voice is light and teasing, his body utterly relaxed as he pushes away from whatever he had been working on to lean back in his squeaky chair.  
        “they- they’re not my goons and i go plenty of places without them.” hyungwon insists, but has to force himself to look away. the jittery feeling began to make itself noticed through the shakiness of his hands, but hyungwon tries to keep them busy by pulling open his backpack and spreading out the material they would need on the table in front of him.

        “sure. whatever you say, princeling.” right about now he was desperately craving minhyuk’s loud mouthed confidence or kihyun’s unshakable bravado, but neither were hyungwon’s speciality. he huffs and puffs his displeasure, more flustered than upset and by the way the edges of changkyun’s grin curl sharper, he probably knows it too.

        “don’t call me that, im changkyun.”

changkyun laughs mockingly and pushes the rim of his round glasses further up his nose.

        “why not? you look like one. lots of people call you that.”

        “can we stop this and focus on our project, please?” all attempts to look stern and disapproving were flushed down the drain with a single, closer look at hyungwon’s face. his embarrassment was clear and while changkyun may not have meant it that way, he heard it as a compliment, which, in itself, was all too distracting. changkyun said he looks like a prince. princes were good-looking and charming.

_changkyun thinks he’s good-looking and charming._

        “have you thought about which potion we should be working on?” changkyun’s serious voice easily cuts through the temporary, pink haze hyungwon had created around himself, forcing him to blink focus back into his eyes.

        “you get to pick, since i’ll have to adjust to your level.” it’s an attempt at a low blow, but the intensity of the comment is completely lost due to the fact that both of them are well aware that changkyun had taken top of the class.

        “okay, then; let’s do amortentia.” hyungwon has laid out a parchment in front of himself and was about to take note of changkyun’s ideas, when the quite unexpected proposal makes him look up sharply. changkyun isn’t even looking at him, anymore, but flipping through pages of their potions book and the initial response quickly fades from hyungwon’s face.

        “fine. love potion it is.”

his heart flutters briefly. there’s a dark thought sprouting at the back of his head that he doesn’t want to allow into the foreground. hyungwon manages to distract himself by following changkyun’s example of focusing on their research. amortentia wasn’t the most advanced potion, but it was complex enough and possessed a twisted history that would make it a fascinating thing to explore.

if it weren’t so impossible to stop himself from glancing up at changkyun every few moments, he might have probably enjoyed it more.

the first few minutes they spend in relative silence, before changkyun clears his throat and meets hyungwon’s shifting eyes.

        “are you nervous? you seem restless.”

        “no, no, i’m just-“

        “you don’t like me?” silence follows from hyungwon’s end and it finally makes something, an emotion that’s neither indifference nor cockiness, flash across changkyun’s face. hyungwon wonders what it is, but isn’t given time to ponder. “i overheard your friend say he could make the teacher switch partners for you, but i didn’t think you wanted to get away that badly—“

        “i don’t!” his voice comes out weirdly pitched and all too loud for the hushed atmosphere of their deserted corner in the library and hyungwon hates himself for how awkward and peculiar he must seem in that moment. little changes on changkyun’s face, though, as he resorts back to staring in that way that makes hyungwon feel nervous and flustered for no apparent reason. “i don’t dislike you.” the slytherin finally adds, more quietly this time. “i’m just… not the most comfortable around people i don’t know well.” it’s more honest and open than he’s had to be in a long time and the truth feels uncomfortably itchy; like an ill fitting, wool sweater stuck to sweaty skin.

but then changkyun is smiling and his dimples are showing and nothing else in that moment. “good. i’m glad we resolved that because i don’t dislike you either.”

+++

hyungwon quickly learns that changkyun smells like peppermint and parchment and that his eyelashes catch the light of the fading sun when he finds himself sitting right next to him and _staring_. it is their fifth meeting and, as embarrassing it was to admit it, changkyun has done most of the work, while hyungwon has been busy stumbling and blabbing and dropping things. their report on amortentia is almost finished — courtesy of changkyun alone — and by the end of their third ~~date~~ get together in the library, there was no point in denying the hopelessly budding crush.

changkyun doesn’t know; he smiles carelessly and laughs deep in his chest and hyungwon is fascinated by the way his eyes twinkle and his lips stretch and feels himself fall deeper into his infatuation.

obsessive tendencies have never been his thing — hyungwon has always been rather mellow, never greedy or needy — but with every passing second next to changkyun, the longing grows and born is a ludicrous idea.

        “the only thing left to take care of is the potion, itself,” changkyun sighs, arms stretched far over his head and back cracking from lack of movement.

        “i can do it by myself, it’s no problem.” hyungwon sounds casual enough, but his heart flutters when changkyun shoots him a quick grin and drops his arms atop the table to lean closer (his sleeve rests atop of drying ink, but hyungwon doesn’t have it in him to tell him).

        “yeah? are you sure you can manage that all by yourself?” as if burnt, hyungwon’s face flushes a bright red and he scowls to hide his humiliation behind outrage. in truth, changkyun had every reason to doubt him, with the subpar results he had been bringing to their work table, but how could hyungwon tell him that the very reason for his mistakes was him?

        “i’ve managed harder potions before.”

        “maybe, but i’ve watched you struggle to tip your quill into the ink every day for the last three days, so you can’t blame me for finding it a bit hard to believe.” mirth reflects in changkyun’s eyes and drips from every syllable. the slytherin can’t find it in him to be truly, sincerely cross with him.

        “shut up,” hyungwon mumbles in his embarrassment, and his hands shake noticeably when he reaches for his books and notes and starts shoving them away. changkyun doesn’t do him the favour of leaning away and instead, hyungwon is left having to pretend like every brush of their arms and changkyun’s unwavering stare leave him completely and utterly unaffected.

        “i’ll finish it up today.” once out of his seat, hyungwon wills his knees to remain steady until he can reach the comforts of the empty potions classroom. “so we can submit everything tomorrow and get this project over and done with.”

he’s not prepared for movement out of the corner of his eye, or the gentle, loose grip that curls around his forearm and makes him pause in his steps and turn back. changkyun’s eyes are little more than two fathomless, black pools that hyungwon can’t learn to read and can’t help but fall into.

        “are you that eager to not spend time with me again?” for a second, hyungwon’s heart stops, but he can hear the blood rushing through his ears, loud and clear. he doesn’t breathe and doesn’t move and the truth is about to pry open his lips and skip from the tip of his tongue at the imploring and sincere look in changkyun’s eyes.

        “no, that’s… not it.” it’s impossible to lie. for hyungwon — in that moment — it’s impossible to keep all his carefully crafted masks upright and in place when changkyun moves so slowly, comes to stand from his chair and takes a half step closer to hyungwon. every single lie he’s ever told im changkyun and every single lie he’s ever told himself are wiped from his memory, leaving only hunger and longing and whispers of _more_  and _closer_.

        “you’re pretty fun to be around when you don’t try to be who you aren’t, hyungwon. i’ve seen who you are underneath the ice prince attitude and it’s not bad, so why do you keep putting on that attitude? it’s off-putting.”

the words are like a bucket of water, icy cold as it drips down his nape and spine. with an angry shiver, hyungwon twists his arm free of the weak hold, his full lips pinching into a thin line. changkyun isn’t wrong, but he also doesn’t know him — not like he should and not like hyungwon wanted him to (so he thought of hyungwon as _off-putting_?). the budding feelings of affection seem so terribly hopeless again that a gaping hole seems to open inside his chest. the previous whispers of what he has to do return, only louder.

        “i have to go prepare the potion.”

it’s not like chae hyungwon to follow his mind’s plotted and childish demise of someone — though it’s arguable whether or not what he was planning could really be counted as _someone’s demise_. kihyun warned him not to get himself in trouble, yet there hyungwon was, leaning over a steaming cauldron and preparing the potion that was supposed to ease some of the restless longing in him.

it’s so very ironic that the project he’s supposed to focus on fits like the last puzzle piece in his borderline delirious plan of making his unrequited crush a bit less unrequited. although forbidden, minhyuk did often say that rules are meant to be broken and unless someone found out, no one would get in trouble.

the amortentia potion should be easy enough to brew, but hyungwon’s thoughts aren’t all there, too distracted by changkyun’s smile floating in front of his eyes and the rushed plan he had to come up with on how to feed the object of his infatuation the love potion. he considers stealing a few cookies from the kitchen and giving them to the ravenclaw tomorrow before class, as a ‘peace offering’ and sign of ‘friendship’.

it smells of peppermint and parchment when hyungwon pours it into the pre-prepared flask — he doesn’t notice the odd shape of the steam, or the colour not being quite pale enough.

that night he goes to sleep thinking of changkyun and their future together, the potion’s flask safely placed on the nightstand next to his bed.

+++

half of the amortentia is still in its original flask, three thirds of the rest are hidden inside another flask beneath hyungwon’s bed, and the last third has been infused into the chocolate chip cookies he has tucked inside his bag. both minhyuk and kihyun commented on the weird, half smile that had been on his mouth the whole morning when hyungwon’s usual mood upon waking up was that of a disgruntled zombie. minhyuk even had to wave a hand in front of his face a few times to get his attention.

        “what got you so distracted, hyungwon? you’re acting really strange.”

        “nothing, don’t worry. just a dream i had.”

they stop asking, though don’t stop ogling, but by the time potions class rolls around, hyungwon can’t bring himself to care about it. he knows it gathers no small amount of attention when he takes a seat next to changkyun instead of his usual spot in between kihyun and minhyuk. minhyuk tries to question him, which earns him little more than a hushed whisper of ‘later’, but kihyun simply scowls.

changkyun, on the other hand, seems elated. he eats the cookies hyungwon offers him and accepts the excuse of wanting to become closer, apparently completely oblivious to the scrutinising way hyungwon studies his face. there’s no immediate change in him and although that strikes the slytherin as odd and wrong — isn’t a love potion supposed to have intense and immediate effects? — he reckons it must be due to the rather short period of time in between creation and consumption.

ten minutes into the lesson, changkyun has finished all three cookies and hyungwon feels slightly more brave than before. he likes to think he can see changkyun grow more at ease as well, imagines him leaning closer as they exchange whispers and smiles all throughout the lesson. they approach the professor to submit their collective reports together and leave the classroom as a pair. hyungwon remains blind to the stares of his friends and can only focus on the feeling of changkyun’s hand on the small of his back.

the scent of peppermint is invading his senses and once they’re out of the classroom, something in him snaps and bursts, and hyungwon reckons it had to be his heart that was clumsily waddling and stumbling out of his chest and right into changkyun’s hands.

        “would you like to go out with me?” hyungwon exhales in a single breath, his fingers embarrassingly clammy and cold, “like, on a date.”

changkyun’s smile rivals the brightest, warmest summer day in august and hyungwon is blinded. “i would love to.”

of course, the slytherin dorm is in a small uproar when he returns that day. minhyuk and kihyun are at the centre of it and while their words are imploring him to explain himself and what exactly happened and since when he even had such feelings for changkyun in the first place, hyungwon’s answers remain as cryptic as ever.

        “it just happened, i don’t know.”

        “i guess i realised that he’s quite cool while we worked together.”

        “it’s just a date, why are you two so worried?”

his two friends exchange looks that hyungwon doesn’t know how to read and doesn’t feel like questioning. the weekend will come tomorrow and hyungwon wants to be well rested for his date. most of his day passes in a pink daze, a thick cloud that has long since seeped into his every pore.

hyungwon doesn’t think about when it started; his mind is brimful of thoughts about changkyun.

nothing else seems to reach him.

+++

with a small bag of cookies is buried deep in his pockets, hyungwon feels like he’s walking on clouds when he steps out of the castle and into the crisp january air. changkyun is already waiting for him next to the entrance and the slytherin’s face turns bright pink from something other than the cold weather when a gloved hand reaches for his own. reality is a dream and hyungwon isn’t sure if he’s imagining things or if changkyun seems as flustered and excited as him. the dimpled grin doesn’t leave changkyun’s face and he walks close enough to brush shoulders with hyungwon, his eyes twinkling and reflecting the pale glow of the sun.

they share conversations about their childhood, their friends, their thoughts. hyungwon laughs hard enough to make his stomach hurt and muscles in his face feel tired and strained as changkyun tells another story of his scaredy cat of a friend, hoseok. they promise to bring their group of friends together and spend more time together thought hyungwon completely forgets about kihyun’s and minhyuk’s reservations towards changkyun and hyungwon’s — apparently — sudden infatuation with changkyun.

his skin is warm where changkyun’s fingers brush it, his breath fanning out against hyungwon’s cheeks when he leans low, and the slytherin’s head with thoughts of kissing him.

they go to hogsmaede and forget the time. hyungwon only has eyes for changkyun and basks in the undivided attention he receives in return. it’s only a walk along the cobbled streets and although the wind is whipping his hair back and tousling it hopelessly, the slytherin likes to think of it as a perfect date.

changkyun is a lot warmer than hyungwon first assumed. he remembers meeting the nerdy looking ravenclaw in their very first class together. back then, he had assumed that the other was cheeky and a know-it-all loner who wouldn’t fit in. and although he couldn’t forget changkyun’s charming smile, he would have never believed that they would end up on a date. neither of them had confirmed anything, no feelings were mentioned, but hyungwon knew that with the help of the potion, it wouldn’t end with just one date.

there is an ounce of guilt that accompanies those thoughts; changkyun doesn’t know he ingested the potion, his feelings could all be based on that and hyungwon isn’t naive enough to believe he could continue feeding him the amortentia forever. there’s a sprout of hope, though, that if changkyun just spends enough time with him, he will see why they are so perfect together and why hyungwon and him are meant to be. then he could stop giving him the cookies and still have changkyun realise that he likes him back.

those thoughts feel slightly like wishful thinking, like scenes out of one of his mother’s novels he might have read once, but as childish as they are, hyungwon abandoned a good portion of his rationality when he decided to brew the potion in the first place.

by sunset, they return from their walk, and despite feeling nervous and uncertain if anything would happen, he pops one of his rose flavoured candies into his mouth just before they reach the castle and hopes for a perfect first kiss.

their first date does end up concluding with a brief kiss right beneath the entrance to the slytherin dungeons and hyungwon lays in bed, smiling about it for hours after.

+

when changkyun picks him up from the staircase around the corner from the dining hall for their second date, their hands find each other immediately; hyungwon’s fingers intertwine with changkyun’s shorter and slightly more rough ones like they were never meant to be anywhere else.

he’s still shy, but still smiling as well, and long since stopped minding the glances and hushed whispers of people around them.

changkyun leads him down the road to hogsmede again; the grey clouds and biting wind don’t make the walk any less pleasant. there’s an odd second of disconnect when he notices the sky turn more dark the closer they get to the village, where hyungwon thinks about how out of character it seems for him to not care. he recalls minhyuk’s and kihyun’s faces when he told them he was going out and simply shrugged at the mention of a thunderstorm and heavy rainfall. wasn’t he scared of them? his head helpfully provides him with multiple memories of himself, hiding away in rooms without windows to avoid seeing lightning strike. either minhyuk or kihyun, or both, were included in those memories too, laughing and teasing, but ultimately sitting close and holding his hand whenever he would reach out.

hyungwon’s grip around changkyun’s hand tightens noticeably and he has to blink a few times to focus on the ravenclaw next to him.

        “are you alright?” changkyun looks worried and pulls him closer, drops an arm around hyungwon’s shoulders — of course, he would worry. there’s no need to have minhyuk and kihyun around with changkyun there and there is no reason for fear either. is there? and they had grown so close, hyungwon thought he was used to the proximity and the scent of peppermint, but somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice was telling him it was too much and too soon. _huh_.

        “i’m scared of storms.” hyungwon’s mouth moves before his head can make the decision about whether or not it wanted to share that information.the slytherin feels himself frown, rather than realising he was controlling the action. “usually, i don’t go out when i know it will rain, it’s weird how…”

a flash of light appears in the distance and hyungwon’s body tenses, but doesn’t stop moving, even as he trails off. he allows changkyun to pull him along while his his mind is throwing into a paradox. one part of him is loudly protesting the smiles, the touches, the ease with which hyungwon goes along, while the other is stuck in the endless cycle of made up images and memories of changkyun.

the frown on his face deepens and hyungwon feels his heart start to beat rapidly in muffled and suppressed panic.

        “it’s not that weird though, is it?” changkyun’s voice is low and gentle in his ear, warm breath fanning over his cheek and corner of his mouth, “to do things you didn’t think you were capable of doing because of a person you like.” hyungwon swallows his thoughts and unvoiced protest and allows changkyun to press a chaste kiss against his cheek, allows the thoughts and feelings of their moment together to overtake everything else.

        “yeah, it’s not that weird. i guess you call this character development.” the smile is back on his lips, but it too feels like an involuntary action of a foreign body. changkyun doesn’t seem to notice and smiles back brightly, showing off the dimples he knows hyungwon adores.

        “we’ll be sitting inside soon, anyway. i made a reservation at madam puddifoot’s. they have this new couples’ cake i want to share with you. i think you’ll like it.”

hyungwon’s thoughts are messy and sluggish. the inside of his head feels like it is trying to adjust to the pink haze clearing away to some extent, but he still can’t recall what it was that the mention of cake reminded him off.

( he doesn’t know that back in his room, kihyun found the amortentia infused bag of cookies hyungwon left behind on his bed and forgotten to pack. )

++

        “i haven’t seen you hang around your friends much lately.” changkyun’s comment is off-handed and quiet, but he doesn’t seem all that worried. the spoon in hyungwon’s hand stops stirring the steaming rose tea in front of him in favour of placing the cutlery on its saucer and reach out to brush his fingers along changkyun’s.

        “it’s because i spend all my time with you, of course.” hyungwon grins and props his elbow on the table between them, his chin resting on his palm and face inching closer to changkyun’s, “are you complaining?” he quips and changkyun laughs quietly into the space between them. his breath carries the scent of peppermint tea and hyungwon wants to kiss him.

        “no, not at all, i was just thinking out loud. you know that i prefer having all of your attention.”

        “i know.” hyungwon leans back in his chair again and goes to pick up his tea cup to take a sip. there’s more he wants to say, but isn’t sure how to. in truth, him spending more time with changkyun has made his best friends avoid him.

since hyungwon returned from their last date, kihyun has given him the cold shoulder and minhyuk kept staring at him in a way that was impossible for him to decipher. he tells himself it’s just jealousy speaking. they’re simply envious that he is in a relationship and they aren’t. or were they jealous of him because they wanted to steal changkyun away?

either way, hyungwon didn’t mind not having anyone else but changkyun around.

why would he mind, when changkyun is the perfect boyfriend and the perfect gentleman? he pays for their date and wraps his own scarf around hyungwon as soon as they step outside madam puddttifoot’s, mumbling something about the wind being too strong and him feeling warm enough. going by how pink his cheeks are, hyungwon reckon’s he’s telling the truth.

their clasped hands are tucked inside the giant pocket of hyungwon’s coat and they share a soft conversation about their dreams. changkyun tells him about his plans for the future; to become a scientist and do research for the ministry of magic, to become famous as the wizard who invented a potion that could cure insanity caused by curses and when he asks hyungwon about his own, everything on the tip of his tongue seems to vanish. hyungwon blinks, tries to remember what he wants to do after school, what path his parents encouraged him to follow, but as soon as he opens his mouth, something else entirely slips past his lips.

        “you are my future.” it’s cheesy and gross and hyungwon expects changkyun to laugh out loud and tell him as much, but changkyun looks oddly sad instead, his smile far from reaching his eyes. hyungwon doesn’t know what to think when he feels the warm touch of changkyun’s palm slip away from his.

a sense of dread grips him, refusing to let go, and once back at hogwarts, hyungwon waves changkyun goodbye. heading for the library,. he tries to recall the last time he fed changkyun the potion infused cookies, but can’t remember, thinks it must have been today or yesterday, though he doesn’t recall when the last time he even saw the cookies was.

now, hyungwon is versed well enough in potions to know the effects of amortentia by heart, but thoughts keep slipping him completely and become muddled with confusion and images of changkyun and their time together. in an almost panic, hyungwon finds himself bent over one of the books on amortentia he had been skimming through while he and changkyun were doing their project.

the effects are supposed to be immediate; an infatuation and obsession on the part of the person consuming it towards the person who brewed the potion. the voice in the back of his mind pipes up again and tries to tell him to really think about whether changkyun seemed infatuated and obsessed with him in the first place, but, like so often recently, his questions find no answers.

something is amiss and that’s all hyungwon can tell for sure before a familiar voice interrupts his rising anxiety.

        “hyungwon? there you are. i was looking for you in your dorm. didn’t you say you were tired and going to sleep early?” it’s a bad timing for changkyun to appear and lead his mind’s focus back on him and him alone, but hyungwon can’t even hold on to the frustration before the ravenclaw’s scent is invading his senses.

        “i just remembered that i had to look up something for a paper i have to finish soon; i’ll go to sleep now.” the lie rolls off his tongue more smoothly than expected and hyungwon pretends not to notice the way changkyun’s face seems more guarded again.

for a moment they face each other in silence, before changkyun shifts and pulls something out of his pocket. he offers the small tin box palm up and with a barely there smile and hyungwon’s confusion deepen.  
        “i was going to give you these, that’s why i went looking for you in the first place.” hyungwon accepts the rose flavoured candy with hesitance, turns the tin box in his hands to see if it really is the right one and thinks about how that explains kihyun’s confusion when hyungwon thanked him for the snack that had been slipped into his bag the first time.

        “how did you know where to get them? i couldn’t figure it out myself, but kept forgetting to ask kihyun where he got them from.” changkyun smiles again and there is an oddly tense edge to the corners of his mouth that hyungwon suddenly finds impossibly to ignore.

        “kihyun never got them for you in the first place, it was me. i figured out you really like the flavour and— well, i admired you from afar for a while, so i wanted you to give you the candy along with a note. like a secret admirer.” the tension is gone as soon as he shrugs his shoulders and changkyun, instead, looks every bit of a mirthful and cheeky boy who turns into a shy mess in front of his crush. “i guess i was never brave enough to actually attach a note, but since you seemed to like eating them i just continued to slip them into your bag.”

peculiar as it is, hyungwon can only think of the sweetness of the gesture, about how adorable changkyun looks when bashful, and opens a tin box to slip one of the pale, pink candies into his mouth.

he inhales and the pink haze returns.

        “you really are the cutest boyfriend one could wish for, im changkyun.”

their kiss tastes of roses, once more.

+++

kihyun drops his flask of amortentia and the sealed bag of potion infused cookies on his bed next to him and it occurs to hyungwon that he’s in trouble even before he looks up to meet his friend’s eyes.

        “we need to talk.”

a movement from the corner of his eye notifies him of minhyuk’s presence in between himself and the door. it immediately becomes obvious that running away is not an option. hyungwon tries to swallow his nervousness, but his throat feels dry and scratchy. the safety of their shared room doesn’t seems all that safe anymore and in a moment of complete desperation, hyungwon does something he would have never dared to up until that point.

he reaches for his wand and points it at kihyun.

        “expelliarmus!”

but kihyun is faster — has always been better at spells than him — and hyungwon watches with rising panic as his own wand flies off and into minhyuk’s hand. the regret comes a bit too late; mistakes had been made and when he finally meets kihyun’s eyes, he knows they won’t let him off easily. minhyuk comes to stand next to kihyun and makes a show out of pocketing hyungwon’s wand inside his cloak.

        “get out of the way. i have somewhere to be.” his hands are freezing, clammy, but hyungwon still finds it in him to become defensive. they’re hovering over him and even though hyungwon pushes himself off his bed a second later in order to gain some advantage, his weak build and inability to use any spells without his wand doesn’t make him any more threatening. neither of his friends are budging, but hyungwon doesn’t want to talk and doesn’t want to explain. wasn’t it obvious enough already what was going on and what he had done?

        “you’re not going anywhere until we’ve talked about this, hyungwon.” minhyuk’s voice sounds methodical and practiced; as if he has said the exact same thing a few times before. it occurs to hyungwon then that his cookies have been gone for a while and that he hasn’t fed any to changkyun in a week at the very least. this whole time his supposed best friends haven’t just been giving him space, they have been avoiding him, most likely plotting together how to expose him and keep him away from changkyun.

        “what is there left to talk about? you already seem to have a very clear idea about everything.” he doesn’t expect kihyun to be the one that exhales in resignation, nor could he have ever foreseen the small, usually gentle hands, pushing at his shoulders and forcing him to sit back down, again.

        “what were you thinking?” kihyun’s pitch rises into a scream, his voice booming despite his size, and face pink from withheld anger. “you were feeding the ravenclaw a love potion? is that how you got him to act so friendly around you? you know just as well as me that the feelings this creates aren’t even real! you’re basically making him think he likes you and obsess over you just to keep him close. i didn’t think you would ever sink that low. what the hell, hyungwon?”

the tips of his shoes suddenly become the most interesting thing to study and hyungwon remains silent for a few moments, trying to ignore the rushing of blood in his ears and loud thudding of his heart. hyungwon doesn’t like confrontations, but his two friends have made it very clear that he won’t be allowed to run away or hide. they want answers.

answers hyungwon didn’t know how to give.

        “i wasn’t.” he presses out between clenched teeth and shoves his icicle hands between his thighs. “i wasn’t thinking of it like that. i just—“ it may not be fair, but hyungwon feels more upset than guilty in that moment. both minhyuk and kihyun don’t seem understand or want to understand. they’re treating him like the worst sort of criminal and he is having a hard time opening his mouth and explaining. “i just wanted a chance to get him to like me back,” hyungwon finally mumbles.

        “and you couldn’t have done that without a love potion? you have to stop feeding it to him and explain yourself, right now.” kihyun insists. he isn’t screaming anymore and hyungwon feels a bit less like there is a burning sensation behind his closed eyelids, but he still can’t bring himself to look up again.

minhyuk caves first. he sighs and comes to sit down next to hyungwon, wraps an arm around his shoulders and pulls him in close. for once, hyungwon can’t quite bring himself to accept the comfort, however. he wishes he could be next to changkyun instead.

        “i already did.” he confesses softly. “i stopped feeding him the cookies a while ago. i only now remembered that i had them in the first place.” minhyuk squeezes his shoulder gently, briefly.

        “you still need to talk to changkyun and tell him what you did. even if he is still staying with you now, it doesn’t change the fact that he was under the influence of the love potion at some point.” they are right and hyungwon knows, but there’s fear of what will happen once he confesses his sins. changkyun could leave him forever, he could start hating him and never talk to him again.

        “i can’t live without him.” hyungwon whispers finally, pushes long and shaky fingers through his hair, “i don’t want to lose him. i can’t lose him because of this.” he couldn’t _survive_  that.

        “well, you should have thought about that before you decided to feed him a love potion.” kihyun shoots back mercilessly.

there is no way around it.

minhyuk and kihyun walk him to the ravenclaw common room and watch him with a close eye as he and changkyun disappear behind the corner into a more secluded area. Hyungwon is glad that his friends decided to cut him enough slack to give them some privacy, but he doesn’t like the fact that they insist on sticking around close enough to be within earshot should either him or changkyun raise their voice.

and now that he’s standing in front of the boy that became the centre of his universe, hyungwon finds himself shaking like a leaf. changkyun looks worried and reaches out to take a hold of his hand, and while that action has always felt soothing in the past, hyungwon can’t get rid of the fear of losing him.

        “hyungwon, what’s wrong? are you okay?” he can’t answer any other way than shaking his head and clutching changkyun’s hand as tightly as possible. the pink haze that had been filling his head the past few weeks fades slightly amongst the worry and panic and hyungwon finds himself itching for his calming rose candy.

        “i— there’s something i have to tell you.” changkyun frowns slightly and looks reminiscent of a confused puppy and as much as hyungwon doesn’t want to hurt him, he knows it is inevitable. either he tells him the truth himself, or kihyun will. “i’ve been lying to you.” inside his head, he can hear kihyun urging him to go on and speak up. _just say it_.

        “when i gave you those cookies during potions class and our date… i was feeding you amortentia. i didn’t give our professor all of it and kept some for my own purposes and, before you say something, hear me out!” changkyun has only been staring, slack mouthed and wide eyed, but hyungwon knows that if changkyun says a single thing now, he wouldn’t ever be able to explain. he would crumble beneath the cold rejection and break apart. “you— when we spend more time together during the project i realised how much i love you, but also that you wouldn’t return those feelings, so i had no other choice.” the plain shock on changkyun’s face is replaced by confusion. it’s laced in the frown between his brows at the slightly narrowed state of his eyes and the shift only makes hyungwon ramble faster.

        “i wanted you to give me a chance and i didn’t think you would after you called me off-putting and i just wanted a _chance_  with you. i wanted to get closer so you would get to know me, the real me, and i—“

        “hyungwon, you failed to brew potion.” changkyun’s whisper cuts through him like glass and it’s hyungwon’s turn to stop and stare.

        “what?” he can’t hear the shuffle of footsteps of his two friends moving closer, only hears the violent beating of his own heart. it’s changkyun’s turn to cling to his hand and after a second of hesitation, the ravenclaw reaches for his other wrist and holds onto it.

        “professor thomas talked to me the next day about it and i had to resubmit the potion for us. you… you didn’t brew it correctly. you failed. it didn’t have any effect on me.” hyungwon has no reason to fear and be nervous anymore, but his heart drops into the pit of his stomach and decides to stay there. the crippling tension between them remains as well and changkyun still hasn’t smiled.

        “are you— you’re not cross with me for wanting to feed you a love potion?” hyungwon hasn’t felt any relief at all and just as the question, although thoughtless, stumbles from his mouth, it starts to dawn on him why. changkyun’s reaction to his whole confession is weird, all wrong, the emotion stuck on his face looks like a mix between guilt and sadness and the slytherin can’t figure out why.

changkyun’s mouth opens and closes but no sound comes out. against all reason and odds, he is suddenly pulling away. previously warm and now freezing cold fingers slip through hyungwon’s loose grip changkyun looks so _devastated_  and hurt that the foreign look on his face keeps him rooted to the spot.

        “i’m sorry, hyungwon.”

 _what_.

his limbs feel numb as he takes a small step forward and watches changkyun inch away. nothing makes sense, but maybe, hyungwon thinks, this is what he gets for lying and trying to manipulate changkyun. now the love of his life is pulling away and apologising and most likely about to break and shatter his heart into a million pieces.

changkyun seems to inhale deeply and although he looks stricken with fear and remorse, his voice comes out relatively calm and even.

        “i’m the one who’s actually been lying to you the whole time.” things start clicking into place somewhere far in the back of his mind and, for once, hyungwon tries to fight that fog that has filled his head for the past weeks, to actually _listen_ and _look_.

        “the reason you’ve been so off lately and so distracted…” changkyun starts, licks his lips nervously and looks every bit the young, foolish teenager that a boy his age is supposed to look, “you kept failing your potions and slacking off with your studies because you couldn’t stop thinking about me, right? the amortentia potion makes rational thinking hard. they often make the person who took it seem more distracted and less like themselves.” and it makes sense; it all falls into place like a perfectly crafted puzzle, but hyungwon still feels himself frowning and hesitating. a small voice in his head insists that changkyun loves him and changkyun would never do anything to hurt him.

        “you— you became obsessed with me and-“ a short and flustered laugh leaves changkyun’s mouth and hyungwon just feels like someone pulled the ground beneath his feet away. “i didn’t know what else to do! you kept glaring at me during classes and your friends were always around you. i thought you hated me! but then i had the idea to give you that rose flavoured candy after i saw how much you liked it and you started paying more attention and i— i knew it was the amortentia, but it was so nice to think you liked me back.” the edges of his vision grow slightly blurry, temples throbbing painfully, as if he has had too much firewhiskey, but he can see the regret and hurt on changkyun’s face clearly enough.

        “i’m really sorry, hyungwon.”

there’s a lot of things hyungwon wants to say in that moment, but his head is in a turmoil, caught between brushing everything changkyun had just told him off as a mean to meet the end, while the rationality in him fights to finally return to the foreground again. the last time he ate the candy was yesterday and the effects have slowly started to fade, but even then, hyungwon doesn’t yet have full control of himself.

        “hyungwon.” minhyuk’s voice is soft and muffled, the hands on his shoulders barely registering as hyungwon continues to stare at changkyun as if he’s an especially complex problem to solve. “we’re taking you to madam pomfrey. come on.”

he thinks to see changkyun mouth ‘i’m sorry’ one last time, but the throbbing in his head quickly reaches a high level of unbearable pain and makes his vision go black.

+++

        “so,” kihyun sighs and crosses his arms.

hyungwon stares at his hands, resting atop his lap for what feels like moments, but must have been closer to ten minutes. changkyun’s letter lays beneath them, but he can’t bring himself to actually read it. an own had delivered it to the infirmary window that morning and the weight of it feels all too significant. the confusion inside his head has cleared away and made way for cold rationality that seems almost too cruel in comparison to the pink candy floss that filled his mind before. the world has turned unmistakably more flawed and grey since the rose tinted glasses were forcefully removed from his vision and hyungwon, as if addicted, felt himself longing and missing it all.

        “so…” minhyuk adds, and hyungwon can see him shift from the corner of his eye, scoot closer to hyungwon on the hospital bed as if both of them haven’t been walking on eggshells since they brought him to the hospital wing yesterday.

        “I should have known something was wrong. we should have known you wouldn’t do something like that and- and act like that.” kihyun sounds angry, but even without looking up, hyungwon knows that he’s angry at himself, and possibly changkyun, but not him. “you kept glancing at him from the very first lesson so i thought it was maybe a crush, and i tried not to meddle too much even when you changed so drastically. hyungwon, i’m sor-”

        “please, stop apologising.” his own voice is croaky from disuse and his throat still burns from the antidote, but he just can’t listen to any more apologies. both minhyuk and kihyun already apologised, repeatedly, and hyungwon can’t stand the way it makes him feel. as if he was now broken beyond repair and it was their fault. they treated him like a pitiful victim of a huge scam and hyungwon refused to see himself that way.

what changkyun did wasn’t easily forgiven, but hyungwon, in his obsession — regardless whether he already was under the influence of the love potion or not — planned to do the exact same thing to him. now that his head was more clear, he could say he wouldn’t ever do that and couldn’t possibly think of doing it to someone, but the fact is still that he had slipped into a mindset where he thought that was the only choice left.

and he found changkyun cute from the start; he liked seeing his cheeky grin and liked listening to his deep voice. it might have been a crush from the very first moment, so even with the effects of the love potion, it couldn’t be denied that there was _something_  there from the beginning.

by no means will hyungwon excuse changkyun’s actions or say that what happened was fine, but thinking about the gentle hold of his hands, the soft curve of his mouth and the pure adoration in his eyes, he knew he would forgive him eventually.

he sighs and grabs the book he had been reading from the small table next to his bed before pushing the letter between the pages.

 _eventually_. he will read it, eventually.

+++

a stifling heat settles over england and minhyuk never fails to express his displeasure as loudly and obnoxiously as possible while fanning his face.

        “you know that doesn’t help, right? you’re just working up even more of a sweat by moving around so much,” kihyun pipes up on hyungwon’s other side.

        “listen, if you aren’t going to help then let me melt in peace.”

they are almost on the train back to london and hyungwon could hardly wait to sit down and sip on a cool drink. for the next few hours they would be in a climatized environment, at least.

hyungwon’s eyes shift over the group of fifth years standing a little further away from them and spots a familiar dark head amongst the group. they hadn’t talked since changkyun’s confession and changkyun had kept a safe distance from him. the rest of the school year passed relatively quickly, between trying to catch up with the few weeks of studies and homework he had missed and trying not to get annoyed with minhyuk and kihyun sticking to him at every moment.

changkyun grins at something one of his fellow ravenclaws said and his bright, dimpled smile still doesn’t fail to make hyungwon’s own lips twitch involuntarily. he forces himself to look away as minhyuk pulls him along to towards the train’s entrance and does his best to wipe the small smile off his lips.

once they settled in their compartment, with kihyun’s pointy nose in a book and minhyuk dozing off against his shoulder, hyungwon rummages through his bag to pull out a book. he flips it open in the middle and takes out the carefully folded letter inside, his fingers briefly tracing the lettering on the outside of the envelope: a neat and quick scrawl of ’to chae hyungwon’.

hyungwon opens the envelope, takes out the peppermint scented letter and begins to read.

**Author's Note:**

> i also now have a separate fic [twt](https://twitter.com/wonnietv) just for spoilers and updates as well as a [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/wonnietv) for questions n prompts!


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